Taiwan has incorporated drone operations into this year’s eight-week joint basic training program across its nine military academies, according to Taiwan News.
The course covers pre- and post-flight safety checks, simulator use, and a final flight test.
During the simulator phase, cadets utilize a smartphone app paired with a remote controller to practice takeoff, landing, and basic flight maneuvers.
Flight tests include side hovering, as well as forward and backward flight.
The initiative comes as Taiwan is increasing investments in drones and seeking more personnel to operate them.
Training is intended to build a pool of qualified pilots, with recruits gaining early exposure to drone operations and skills applicable to asymmetric warfare, local news outlet Liberty Times reported.
Focus on Drones
In recent months, Taipei has accelerated its drone programs amid continuing tensions with China, which claims the island as its territory.
Earlier this month, US-based firm Anduril delivered the first batch of Altius loitering munitions to Taiwan under a foreign military sale contract.
This comes after the Ministry of National Defense announced plans to prepare a special budget of up to 900 billion New Taiwan dollars ($30 billion) to expand missile and drone capabilities.
Planned acquisitions include attack drones, uncrewed vessels, and upgraded command platforms, with procurement from both domestic and US suppliers.
The effort aligns with Taiwan’s goal to deploy 48,750 drones and develop five new drone types by 2027.
Moreover, the Asian country unveiled the “Overkill” drone in June, equipped with Auterion’s strike and camera systems in use in Ukraine.
The first-person view platform can be manually guided to strike Chinese warships and evade air defenses with low-profile attacks.
